5 November 2022 - Salvos Magazine

FAITH TALK

Learning to bend

In the silence, let us remember

MY STORY Finding friendship and fulfilment A time to honour those who died defending our freedom

“At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

– Laurence Binyon

What is The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.

Vision Statement

Wherever there is hardship or injustice, Salvos will live, love and fight alongside others to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus.

Mission Statement

The Salvation Army is a Christian movement dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus by:

• Caring for people

• Creating faith pathways

• Building healthy communities

• Working for justice

Faith Talk [10]

Learning to bend

Feature [4]

My Story [12] Finding friendship and fulfilment

Remembrance Day

What are we remembering when we stop for two minutes at 11am on 11 November?

Salvos Magazine

Founders William and Catherine Booth

General Brian Peddle

Territorial Leaders

Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldson

Secretary for Communications and Editor-In-Chief

Colonel Rodney Walters

Publications Manager Cheryl Tinker

Assistant Editor Faye Michelson

Graphic Designer Ryan Harrison

Editorial phone (03) 8878 4500

Enquiry email salvosmagazine@salvationarmy.org.au

All other Salvation Army enquiries 13 72 58

Press date 24 October 2022

Printed and published for The Salvation Army by Commissioner Robert Donaldson at Focus Print Group, South Granville, NSW

The Salvation Army Australia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet and work and pay our respect to Elders, past, present, and future. We value and include people of all cultures, languages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and intersex status. We are committed to providing programs that are fully inclusive. We are committed to the safety and well-being of people of all ages, particularly children. salvosmagazine.org.au

There’s more than a century of distance between us and World War I, but generations on there’s so much about those years of horror to never forget. The statistics are horrifying – nine million soldiers killed in combat and five million civilians dead through conflict and hunger. But it’s a sharper horror when we humanise the statistics and remember that every one of those who died was a person who loved and was loved.

The sacrifice of war is difficult to reflect upon. It’s difficult to think about World War I and every other war that has afflicted our world since then. It’s difficult to remember how people suffered during, after, and as a result of, combat. It’s difficult to know that people are suffering today through war.

But if we don’t choose to remember, then we will forget.

Faye Michelson Assistant Editor

A moment of silence, a time to talk

The Salvation Army is about giving hope where it’s needed most.

A

moment of silence, a time to talk

I remember lifting the linoleum from the floor of my grandfather’s front room. My father and I were clearing the house following my grandfather’s death, and out of curiosity we reached our finger tips around the ageing edges of the flooring and pulled, to see what was beneath. Old newspapers and post ers had been used to line the wooden floorboards, the headlines speaking of conflict, of rationing, the imprints of war.

We are asked each November 11 to remember, to reach back and pull out our memories of war. The date marks the end of World War I’s hostilities, to recall those who died, and to remember the sacrifice with two minutes of silence. It is a day of memorial for the Armistice of 1918, with our own time growing further removed from any personal recollection of those who served.

My grandfather served in World War II and I have early recollections of seeing him marching with The Salvation Army’s Red Shield branch of the RSL in the Anzac Day television broadcast. That is part of my own impressions of war, but the glimpses on television often felt abstract, too far removed. When I reflect on what my memories of war might be, I think of those newspapers under my grandfather’s floor instead. The images on the papers were fading, some gone altogether, but the imprints

of war had been there the whole time, just beneath the surface.

TWO MINUTES’ SILENCE

With generations increasingly distant from the events of the 1918 Armistice (the last Australian digger to have served in World War I died in 2011), what do the two minutes of silence

Lest we forget, Remembrance Day is a time for us to reach out and honour the sacrifice of those who died defending our freedom

Words Anthony Castle

recall this Remembrance Day? What sacrifice are we actually remembering? Australian culture can seem less and less aware of the story of World War I, despite the procedures of Remembrance Day being formalised by the Federal Government in 1997. There may be awareness of some events, including the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the Battle of the Somme and the Hundred Days Offensive, but the story is not a large part of our national consciousness. While there have been school programs about the day’s significance, the date is increasingly eclipsed by Anzac Day, a public holiday that has come to resonate with a sense of Australian identity.

World War I saw nine million soldiers dead in combat, and five million civilians dead due to conflict and hunger, but time takes us further from the events them selves. Australia is also an increasingly

multicultural society, with 30 per cent of the Australian population born overseas, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The days of Australians having immediate generational connections to the casualties of World War I are disappearing, with the memories of more recent wars taking their place.

For some, Remembrance Day has conse quently become a time to remember those who have sacrificed in more recent wars. However, conflicts in vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan have been contentious, their motivations questioned and publicly protested. Such wars have ended with retreats and exits, with Western coalitions facing recriminations about collateral damage and war crimes.

In the midst of this, the sacrifice of war can be difficult to reflect upon. We can try to remember lives lost overseas, but such recent conflicts have left a mental health crisis for many returning veterans.

More than 1200 Australian Defence Force veterans have died by suicide in the past two decades, prompting a Royal Commission that will deliver its interim report this year.

DIVERSE SOCIETY

We are now more than a century away from the events of World War I, in a more diverse society with different perceptions of war. What do we recall during the two minutes of silence? What sacrifices are we actually remembering? It may be that we are not remembering at all, but rather slowly forgetting, with a growing disconnection filling the silence.

just made by the soldiers, my father explained, but also the families and homes impacted by war.

I recently sat in my father’s house and asked about my grandfather’s war records. My father lit the fire, made a cup of tea, and we talked. My grand father worked in a bakery before enlisting in 1941, being transferred to New Guinea after the Empire of Japan invaded the territory in 1942, the year my father was born. My grandmother was at home with the baby, her first experiences of motherhood in the year rationing began. These recollections aren’t of a soldier lost at war, but rather a father away from home and a teenage mother making do. The sacrifice wasn’t

No matter how we observe Remembrance Day, there is no recall without first forming memory. While it can be important to know about the events of World War I, recollections formed through school programs or televi sion can be abstract, too far removed. Memories are made through touch, the feel of old newspapers between your fingers or cups of tea by the fire. Memories are shared through talking.

If we are to observe the two minutes of silence, perhaps we need to take time to talk first – with family, with those affected by war, with veterans or those with refu gee experience. My father has taken one of the wartime posters found beneath the floorboards and framed it, put where it can be remembered. The imprints of war are present for all of us, often just beneath the surface. We just need to reach for them, and make our own memories.

Scan here for more on finding meaning.

The sacrifice wasn’t just made by the soldiers, but also the families and homes impacted by war.

Local family stores relaunch under Salvos Stores brand

Twelve Salvation Army family stores across New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania have transitioned to Salvos Stores. Up to another 50 shops, which are generally run by individual Salvo corps (churches), will soon experience the same benefits as Salvos Stores.

floods. The original opening date for Lismore was the end of March, but on that day the store was once again under a metre of water.

The official reopening as Salvos Stores Lismore recently took place, with manager Peter Parker continuing in this role with the support of area manager Stuart Estreich.

“It has been a long rebuild after so much damage,” says Philip, “but the new store has been fitted out to be more floodproof and designed to be evacuated more easily. We’re excited that our loyal volunteers can continue to do what they do best with the backend support from Salvos Stores.”

Under the Salvos Stores brand, local stores benefit from the experience and resources of a major national retailer, including an award-winning online shopping platform and seasonal market ing campaigns. In addition, business support with retail expertise is available to help each store meet compliance requirements, while customers enjoy a consistent shopping experience in-store.

One of the latest family stores to relaunch under the Salvos Stores brand is in in the northern NSW city of Lismore, which was devastated by floods earlier this year. The store is one of four in the northern NSW region, overseen by Northern Rivers corps officers (pastors) Philip and Donna Sutcliffe.

The transition has been a long process after the shop was inundated with 4.5 metres of water during the February

Being part of Salvos Stores allows Philip and Donna to free up more time to focus on ministry in their local communities. “We now have more time for planning and reflecting on where we can be in the community,” Philip says. “The store is still part of what The Salvation Army is doing in the Northern Rivers region, so we’ll still have a very strong connection with the store and continue our mission and ministry there.”

The inside of the Lismore Family Store after one of the flood events.

Captain Philip Sutcliffe and area manager Stuart Estreich and the Lismore team

Funds released to assist flood recovery

The Salvation Army has mobilised up to $2 million from its Red Shield Appeal funds to support communities in flood-affected areas across New South Wales, victoria and Tasmania.

As torrential rain and swollen rivers inundated many parts of Australia, displac ing thousands of people from their homes, the Salvos have been in evacua tion centres, providing meals, emotional support and material aid, including bedding, toiletries and clothing.

Funds from the Red Shield Appeal will directly support people whose homes have been impacted, or are expected to be impacted, by this latest series of rain

events. Assistance may include help with the clean-up, emergency accommoda tion or clothing.

The Salvation Army Emergency Services (SAES) had teams assisting at eight centres: Creswick, Bendigo, Seymour, Echuca, Tatura and Shepparton in victoria; Moama and Wagga Wagga in NSW. As the floods peaked last month, the Salvos were in 22 evacuation centres across NSW, victoria and Tasmania.

“Salvation Army personnel were on the ground in our catering trucks and trail ers, providing meals for those impacted by floods. In addition to meals, they are offering emotional support to the

The Mooroopna Thrift Store under water at the peak of the floods.

many people who have been suddenly displaced from their homes,” says Major Bruce Harmer, the Salvos’ National Public Relations Secretary.

Major Warren Elliott, the Salvos’ victoria Public Relations Secretary, flew to Shepparton and reported that much of the area was under water, including Salvation Army centres.

“There are some Salvos properties currently inundated, including Rochester hall and thrift shop, Mooroopna thrift shop, and the Shepparton corps officer was evacuated from her quarters,” he says. “Army volunteers and members are staying together at the corps (church) hall at the present.”

LONG-HAUL RESPONSE

After the initial emergency response phase, The Salvation Army will remain in communities for however long it takes to ensure they are supported practically, as well as emotionally, through the recovery and rebuild phases.

“Now more than ever, we need to band together and support these people when they need it most,” Bruce says. “The early and long-term recovery phases of our disaster response, implemented during times of natural disaster, remain in place often for years following the disas ter itself. We are here for the long haul.

“Our SAES teams have been manag ing disaster relief for more than 50 years, and we have a trusted history of working with governments and other agencies in supporting communities until they are back on their feet.”

Services that will be made available include teams of case workers, who will mobilise to affected areas and work directly with individuals and families to provide financial support and acute care for the duration of the recovery journey.

“Natural disasters such as floods, while devastating for those directly impacted, have the ability to unite us as a country and show that Aussie spirit for which we are known.”

Report compiled by The Salvation Army Media Relations Department

If you would like to make a financial donation via The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal, which supports Australian disasters, please visit salvationarmy.org. au or call 13 72 58 (13 SALVOS).

Scan here for more information on Salvation Army Disaster and Emergency Services

Now more than ever, we need to band together and support these people when they need it most.

Captain Ronald Stobie, corps officer (pastor) at Maryborough (Vic.), with a helicopter packed with bedding ready to fly to isolated communities impacted by floods in Victoria.

Learning to bend

Flexibility is a crucial part of developing resilience

Words Jo-anne Brown

It was February 2015 and my husband and I were travelling north for a week’s holiday in Emu Park, Central Queensland.

One week earlier, Severe Tropical Cyclone Marcia had ripped through Central Queensland, causing an estimated $750 million worth of damage and wreaking havoc. We saw trees ripped to shreds, debris scattered far and wide, and count less houses covered by tarps.

What we also noticed, very vividly, was how some trees had survived the powerful winds, while others had simply snapped into matchsticks. The eucalypts were smashed and broken. The palm trees were somewhat battered and bent, but most were still standing. It seemed that the strength of the tree was not the most significant factor in its survival –flexibility was also very significant. And apparently, palm trees with their unique structure and root system are very flexible, being able to bend up to 40-50 degrees before their trunks tear or snap.

PROFOUND LESSON

This was quite a profound learning for us –strength alone is no guarantee of survival, or even wellbeing, during or after crisis and catastrophe. The ability to bend, to move with the wind, is also crucial.

I’ve also read recently of the Survivor Trees of Hiroshima, also known as Peace Trees. There are approximately 170 trees in Hiroshima that survived the atomic bomb that had such devastat ing effects on the people and city of

Hiroshima. Decades after the devastation, seedlings from these trees are being sent around the world as a message of hope – and survival.

There is also a pear tree that survived the 9/11 terrorist attacks, known as the Survivor Tree. This is resilience at its best, in the worst imaginable circumstances –not just survival, but also regeneration, new growth shared and spread across communities and around the world.

Resilience is about how we move through and recover from adversity. It’s a set of skills, as well as an inner capac ity to cope well and recover quickly – a bit like a rubber band that can be stretched and expanded, but will neither snap and break, nor spring away and hit someone else in the face!

STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY

We don’t find the actual word ‘resilience’ in the Bible (at least, not in English), but we do find a strong thread of steadfastness (perseverance, endur ance), combined with a deep calling to surrender. Together, these become resilience – like the trees in the cyclone, where strength wraps itself in flexibility to contribute to survival.

We see elements of these combined qualities in Jesus and how he lived his life. We see it in his mother Mary, who knew when to stand firm and when to let go and surrender. We also see this resilience in countless disciples through the ages, who stood firm in their faith and what they were called to do, and yet held their lives and their own needs and comfort lightly.

If we want to stand strong as well as bend with flexibility in the wild storms

that sometimes surround us, there are two questions to consider: in which parts of my life do I need to stand firm and strong at this time, and where do I need to let go and surrender to God?

We can also be encouraged by the words from Jeremiah chapter 17, verses 7-8 (The Message), “You will be blessed as you trust in God. You will be like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers – never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season.”

Scan here for more on finding meaning.

Finding my way ‘home’

James found friendship and fulfilment when he connected with the Salvos.

Words James Brennan

In 2019, I moved to Perth from Bathurst, NSW. When I arrived, I tried to connect to churches in my area, but no matter how hard I tried or how many times I went, I just didn’t feel a connection.

But this year, things changed – I felt a call, a need to find a place where I could belong. That’s when I was told about a Salvation Army shop no more than 800 metres from my home! About 20 years ago, I had been part of the Salvos in Geraldton, so I was happy to hear of a shop near me, and I went searching.

When I arrived, the shop was closed, but I met an amazing woman of God –Salvation Army officer (pastor) Naava Brooks. As we talked, she mentioned that she, with Jenny Armstrong, were the officers (pastors) of the Salvos church here. The moment there was mention of a church, I felt drawn to it and needed to go. When I walked through the doors on Sunday, I heard Naava say, “Here he is.” I felt welcome.

At first, it was very different – a lot of elderly and the service was very differ ent to what I was used to, so I said I would come back the following week. The sermon was fantastic, I felt more connected, the music was still different to me, but the message was clear. I started to feel like this could become my new home. As I kept coming, I got to meet and become friends with some amazing people.

As the months went by, I grew more invested and connected, and I could feel God bringing me home. I wanted to offer myself in service, to really be part of my new spiritual home. So, I spoke with Naava to learn about how to become a member. I was given two options, adherent or soldier, and I knew immediately what and how I was to belong to this home – this family of God. I wanted to fully surrender to him, to be the man of God he wanted me to be, so I gave him all of me.

Being a soldier (member) of The Salvation Army means a complete surrender to God in every way, in every part of my life. I now live for him, and I have never been so happy. I feel fulfilled in God, stronger in him, and so grateful he accepts me. For all he has done for me, I could do nothing less in return.

It is in my heart to share the gospel –the Good News that Jesus saves.

No matter who you are, Jesus is ready and waiting for you. His love, grace and mercy endure forever and ever. He loves you right where you’re at, and to share his love and word with those around me is just fantastic.

Scan here for more on the need for community.

Gurkensalat (German cucumber salad)

Quick quiz

Name the books that have these opening lines.

1. “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.”

2. “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

3. “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”

4. “Mr and Mrs Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.”

5. “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”

Ingredients

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced (with a mandolin is ideal), 4 tbsp white or white wine vinegar, 4 tbsp water, 1 tbsp caster sugar, a couple of pinches of salt (to taste), black or white pepper (to taste), chopped fresh dill.

Method

• Whisk vinegar, water, sugar and salt together until dissolved, pour over thinly sliced cucumber.

• Sprinkle with chopped fresh dill and toss.

• Season with pepper and addi tional salt to taste before serving.

Bible byte

“Kind words bring life, but cruel words crush your spirit.”

Proverbs chapter 15, verse 4 Good News Translation

On which page of this week’s Salvos Magazine is Tum-Tum hiding?

PHOTO: ED ROBERTSON ON UNSPLASH

on page 3.

Answers: 1. 1984 by George Orwell 2. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 3. The Go-Between by L.P. Hartley 4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling 5. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Tum-Tum: is hiding behind the table of

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